Into the woods
by masochistfox
Summary: A multi part fanfiction following my MC Basil Woodrow. He's an insomniac, shy wildlife photographer who finds himself in a mysterious uncharted forest where he becomes entangled in his own horror story. Will feature a lot of Lawrence in later chapters and there will be NSFW scenes featuring them, including sexual and gore.
1. Prologue

_-Tick_

 _Tick_

 _Tick-_

The second hand of the clock counted down the minutes as Basil sat thinking. Not about anything in particular, just whiling away the time as he waited for the clock to read 2 AM. That was the perfect time to go out in his opinion. The moon would be beginning it's slow descent through the sky and the soft morning dew would begin to accumulate on the crisp winter grass.

Perfect.

Finally the near silence was broken with a deep sigh as it made it's way past his lips. He hoisted himself off the small, sparse bed and unzipped his camera bag. He counted his lens flashes, his film and made sure the batteries were still charged. He enjoyed his job as a freelance photographer, even though his preferred target was not something most desired.

Most people requested flowers or wildlife and while he enjoyed taking nice pictures of cute, frolicking squirrels and freshly bloomed honeydew, it just wasn't interesting enough to him. His favored subject was something a bit more… still.

He looked back to the clock.

1:45 AM.

He supposed now would be a fine time to leave if any. It was going to be quite a walk to where he was heading anyway. He snatched up his soft green scarf and tossed his camera equipment over his arm and headed out the door, double checking and then triple checking to make sure he locked it on his way out. Then a quick check to make sure he had his keys and then quickly unlocking the door and peering in once more to make sure the stove was off, after which, he was on his way.


	2. Into The Woods

The soft, inviting crunch of remaining fall leaves and dried grass resonated in Basil's ears as he trudged through the dense forest. He had found this place on accident one day, scouting for areas to photograph. It looked as if no one ever came here, deserted and quiet, nary the sound of any living creature. It was a sanctuary. Last he had been here he hadn't had much time to explore, this was all going to be a new experience.

He had thought back to the forest many times since he found it, planning to go back.

Tonight was his night to enjoy the solitude. Slowly the melodious sound of water filled the air as he pushed aside some dense brush.  
He made his way towards the sound and found himself near a long, glistening stream near a small waterfall. The moonlight shone upon the water like silver scales, illuminating the clearing. Basil shot a quick picture before something caught his eye.

The deer must not have been dead for very long, still showing vitality in it's fur and musculature. It's eye's were gone however, as if eaten away by something and sprouting out from it's middle was a long, rope like vine. It's stalk split into multiple stems, each ending in a glowing bulb. It seemed to be emitting a low ringing sound, similar to tiny bells in the wind.

He raised his camera and took multiple shots in the dark, then screwed on a flash bulb. The flash lit up the surrounding area in a quick, blinding light eliciting a sudden, higher pitched ringing from the vine. Basil's hand shot to his ears in an attempt to block out the sound, his eyes examined the now writhing plant matter.

The sound slowly dwindled down to a quiet hum as the vines uncurled from around themselves. Intrigued, Basil slowly reached a hand towards one of the many bulbs, his finger tips lightly brushing against it. It curled slowly around his outstretched index finger, seeming to be feeling for something. The thin vine finally reached his wrist and settled upon his vein, his pulse gently moving it up and down.

Suddenly the plant recoiled away from his, leaving thin cuts down his hand in the process. He hissed in pain as he grabbed his hand to stop the bleeding and maybe quell the intense, burning sensation overtaking his arm. He dropped to his knees, and looked towards the carcass, the plant hidden deep inside.

The pain slowly subsided and he scooted closer to peer inside the deep, cavernous wound. Hovering close enough to smell the decay, the next sensation he felt was being shoved back onto the ground behind, his breath being cut off by the vines quickly ensnaring him. His fingers dug into his skin as he attempted in vain to claw off the plant, his vision fading in and out with his lack of oxygen.

Searing pain suddenly snapped him back to reality as the plant began pushing itself through the tender skin on his neck. He could feel the thin intruders pushing and prodding underneath his skin, worming their way deeper and deeper into his body. The pain was overwhelming as he pulled at the vines digging into his veins, trying to remove them. They slowly disappeared into his flesh and he could feel them inside him. His screams bounced off the dense, wooded walls and died amongst the trees.  
No one would hear him this far out and he doubted anyone would even care if they could.

Eventually his voice ran hoarse and he looked down at his bleeding finger tips. The tiny barbs of the plant had ripped away layers of skin, leaving his hands raw and burning. As he stared, he could see the vines under his skin, wriggling around like thin worms burrowing into the ground.

The feeling of screaming welled up inside him once again, but only came out as a pathetic, scratchy sob. He sat, crying for what felt like eternity until he ran out of tears. He grabbed his camera bag and carefully made his way back to his car, his hands burning and his body feeling as if it was not his own, foreign and strange.


	3. Home and Gardens

The setting sun shone vibrantly in the small apartment window, illuminating the walls in hues of pink and purple. Basil rolled over softly, grumbling gently in his half awake stupor. His fingers found their way to his face as he attempted to satiate the tickling feeling rolling down his cheek. His nails slid down his face, slippery from the foreign liquid now slicking his hands.

Basil rubbed his fingers together in an attempt to further understand the situation. Slowly, reason made it's way to his foggy brain and jolted him upright, tossing his face mask from his eyes. Peering down, his vision was blurred and distorted, one side of his vision completely dark. The sun glinted off the unmistakable scarlet fluid smeared across his bandaged hands.

His breathing grew heavy as he darted for his bathroom. His one good eye widened in horror as he looked in the mirror. In lieu of his right eye was a tangle of green vines, mottled with red blood stains. His hand shook as he brought it closer to the socket, grazing the plant matter gently with his finger tips. A small humming sound emitted gently in his head, the sound reverberating against his skull as the vines twisted gently, finding a different resting place.

"It…. It wasn't a dream…" Basil finally managed to squeak out as he studied himself more in the mirror. The small lacerations in his neck where the plant forced it's way in were still present, only now a tiny bit of the plant peeked out from the holes. His skin looked sallow and gaunt, a slight hint of green tinting his usually pale skin. His black hair had grown to a shade of dark green as well, giving the appearance of moss.

"… Maybe… Maybe there's something to get rid of this thing… weed killer or something…" He murmured to himself. He felt his body tense slightly out of his control, as if the plant could understand his intention. He looked back at himself in the reflection, realizing he would definitely stand out like this.

Searching his bedroom he managed to find a thick, black choker and a medical eye patch left over from back when he almost lost an eye when a lawnmower launched a rock at him. Ironic, now, he thought as he slipped it over his face. He tied the choker next, making sure the vine was tucked underneath. He could feel them inside, wriggling around, trying to find the light. Eventually they settled down and began a gentle ringing as they laid dormant.

After running his usual lock checks, he headed towards his car and towards the nearest home and garden store.

It was late, almost ten PM when he finally made it to the store. It was going to close in an hour so he had to make this fast and the sooner this thing was out of his body, the better. He wandered around the aisles, enjoying the warm smell of fiber boards and other construction materials. It was an inviting smell, one that felt like a soft hug in the morning or something you could wrap around you to feel safe. Basil never had many excuses to come here, but he savored it every time.

Eventually he made it to the garden section, walls of ferns and wind chimes littered the small area. He walked past rows of sheers and other pruning devices then past gloves and strange garden statues. It felt like he had circled the aisles 5 times until he came to the conclusion he had no idea where anything was. Walking through he noticed there was only one other person in the section looking at the pruning selection.

He walked up cautiously, attempting to pretend to be looking at a pair of interesting, blue sheers as he inched his way closer to the man. He was tall, seeming more than a foot taller than himself, his shoulder length, blonde hair tied back in a secure, low ponytail. His clothing looked warm and comfortable, a light grey hoodie over what appeared to be a red flannel nightshirt and a pair of faint blue sweatpants.

Basil inched slightly closer and the man took notice, glancing quickly down at him and then inching away slightly, his shoulders visibly tensing up. Basil quickly looked away and held his breath, trying to remain still as he stared directly in front of him at the various gardening tools. Both men remained motionless, as if waiting for the other to make a move. The air felt thick and time felt like eternity.

Finally the taller man broke the silence by gently sighing, his hand reaching towards a pair of smaller pruning sheers and promptly turning away to leave.

"Ah..! Wait..!" Basil managed to stammer, stopping the man in his tracks. Basil slowly approached him, wringing his hands together anxiously. "I… I've never really… been in this section and I… can't seem to find something…" His voice cracked as he spoke, sweat accumulating on his brow. "I'm looking for… something to kill a… a weed…".

The man finally turned around, his icy blue eyes glinting in the harsh florescent lighting. He seemed just as nervous as Basil, his hands holding the sheers tighter, his knuckles turning slightly white.

"Weed killer…?" He asked questionably. Basil nodded, his soft, green hair falling in his face. "I…. I think that's over there.." He removed a hand from the sheers to point towards a further part of the area. Basil could see bags of fertilizer stacked upon large wooden pallets. "The weed killer is mixed in with the fertilizer…" His voice was hushed and steady, as if he was unsure if he should even be talking to him. "I find it a bit irritating that they are not more careful in their organization of items…. I've bought the wrong one before in the confusion…".

"I'm sorry about that…" Basil lamented, earning a slight smile from the taller, strange man. They shared a brief silence, both unsure of what to do next.

"It's ok… Things die… quite often in my experiences. It's hard to hold on to something for very long before it disappears… It's best not to grow attached to any one thing. It all withers away to nothing in the end." The blonde man's voice was cold and even as he mused on about death, he seemed to be calmed by the thought of things dying. Basil shifted uncomfortably, unsure if he should join in on the one sided conversation.

"Ah… Thank you for your help.." He finally chimed, head bowing slightly in gratitude. As if snapping out of some trance, the stranger mumbled out a response that Basil couldn't quite make out as the man retreated towards the check out counters. He sighed, his heart felt as if it was stopped for the entirety of the conversation and now that he was gone, it felt like it was going a hundred miles an hour.

He shuffled through the different bags, making sure to read the labels carefully as he searched for something that could kill, hopefully, vines. Eventually he settled on a smaller bag of 'Super Kill X', the letters were some kind of spiky, bright orange font and the intended uses were 'Kills all vines and pesky weeds, do not use near livestock'. He quickly checked out and headed for home, Hoping this nightmare would be over soon.


	4. Weed Killer

Basil sat in his kitchen staring at the bag of poison as he rubbed his hands together nervously. He had read the instructions front to back, but nowhere on the bag did it have information about his current problem. He attempted to search online for information on the plant, but couldn't find anything. It was like it didn't exist, or maybe it was an undiscovered species. He would be more excited about that fact if it wasn't using his body as a planter.

"Maybe I could mix it in a drink…" He pondered, running his fingers through his hair. He decided to brew some tea to mix a small amount into. A small amount shouldn't kill him, he thought. He read the bag again as he waited for the water to boil. He had read it so many times now he'd memorized it. He started reciting it aloud to pass the time.

Finally the sharp whistle of the kettle filled the air, shocking him out of his daze. He tossed a mint tea bag into his favorite cup and poured the water over it, the rich smell of the herbs filling the room. He inhaled deeply and sighed, he wished he drank tea more often, but it usually slipped his mind, or he simply procrastinated and would forget.

A soft humming invaded his head as he felt the vines inside twist and turn gently. It made his skin crawl to think about it and it bothered him even more that he was becoming used to it. He blew on the steaming liquid in an attempt to cool it down and took a sip, instantly burning his tongue. Basil hissed through his teeth as he tried to fan his mouth with his hand. He was never patient when it came to hot food or drinks.

He brought the cup to the table and set it aside the bag of poison. He checked the bag again, looking for the poison control number, just in case. He thought about calling before he attempted this, but figured he wouldn't know what to say. 'Hello, I was invaded by a carnivorous plant parasite, can I drink this poison to kill it without it killing me?' He thought to himself. Yeah, that'd go over great.

The bag says to add a tablespoon to a gallon of water to kill 5 square feet of unwanted weeds. He wondered how someone measured that. He took his teaspoon from the tea, and licked the remaining liquid from it, then studied the silverware. "Maybe if i just dip it in and use what sticks, that might be enough…" He mused to himself as he carefully tore the bag open, the dusty material billowing out of the bag. He started coughing as his nostrils were assaulted by the foul smelling powder. Suddenly his body seized up and he fell to the floor, the ringing growing louder and more high pitched in his head. His limbs curling against his body as the plant writhed.

He could feel thousands of sharp barbs stabbing inside himself, forcing him to moan in pain as his finger nails dug into his palms. He lay curled in pain, the sound gradually dying down as the plant calmed. His body hurt as he slowly regained control, relaxing his limbs and rolling over onto his back. He tried to steady his breathing, his lungs still burning slightly from the poison. "I guess you don't like that stuff then, huh…" He spoke, talking to the plant. He felt the tendrils shift slightly under his skin.

He gently lifted himself up off of the floor and sat back down at the table. The powder was stark white with small blue flecks scattered throughout. It had spilled slightly on the table and he was sure not to breath anymore in or touch any with his bare fingers. He looked back at the tea, luckily it was clean of the powder. He thought that maybe this was a bad idea as he picked the spoon back up, licking it slightly and then dipping it into the poison.

Sweat began to accumulate on his forehead as he mixed the powder into his tea. He watched it swirl around before fading completely. He looked back at the bag, he could see the poison control number clearly, though he figured it wouldn't matter if the plant took control again. He sighed and brought the cup to his lips. He could smell the faint, lingering scent of mint as he froze, not wanting to drink poison. He kept it to his lips for awhile, a few beads of sweat rolled down his face, scared to go any further.

Eventually he set the cup back down, his hands shaking as he attempted to wipe up his sweat with his sleeve. "This is a really bad idea…" He whispered to himself. He got up and walked to his bathroom, running the tap on cold. He removed his eye patch and splashed some water onto his face and looked into the mirror. His hands ran along his cheek, his skin had become a tinge greener than before, his freckles had turned green as well. He could see the vines in the empty cavern that was once his eye, they twisted and turned, a few of the bulbs starting to crawl out and up towards the bathroom light.

Basil could feel anger welling up inside him as he watched the intruder sprouting from his face. He grabbed the plant and pushed it back into his head, quickly covering it with his patch again and marching to the kitchen table. He was sick of this and he was going to end it right now. He was sure they wouldn't survive this. He lifted the cup to his mouth and took a large gulp.

He immediately dropped his cup to the ground, the glass shattering upon impact as he doubled over. The plant was screaming in his head again, this time more shrill than ever before. His stomach felt as if it were on fire as he clawed at the skin on his stomach. The plant pushed his eye patch from his face and started curling out and around, entangling itself in his hair. He pushed himself towards the bathroom, his legs feeling weak. He fell to his knees before the toilet and immediately purged the contents of his stomach.

He vomited until nothing more would come up, his stomach felt like it was being torn apart. Bits of blood came up along with the small amount of tea and the candy bar he had eaten earlier for dinner. His vision started fading out and the ringing in his head grew fainter and fainter. The last thing he felt was the back of his head hit the bathroom wall behind him.

—-

Warm…. Something felt warm… and…. wet? It felt like the embrace of a warm bath, surrounding him entirely. Basil slowly opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. It was bright and foggy, His body halfway submerged in warm, white water. He rose to his feet, the liquid didn't linger on his skin, as if it wasn't real. He looked around the area, there were no shores any where, but the water wasn't very high.

He began to walk against the current, not really knowing which way to go. He faintly remembered this place. Was it from a dream? Maybe this was a dream, He thought to himself. He ran his fingers along the water's surface as he walked. This was an inviting place, it had a serene, welcoming air to it.

He wandered for what felt like forever, until he suddenly heard a voice. It sounded as if it was coming from all directions. It was calm and steady, the words running together monotonously.

"Why are you wandering around here?" It quizzed. Basil looked around, but could not see the source of the voice. He shrugged gently as he continued to walk. "You aren't supposed to be here." It spoke again, this time it sounded louder, as if it was right above him. He glanced up quickly, seeing no one there. He stopped momentarily and tried to survey the area better. He was still alone. He began walking only to be interrupted the moment his foot left the ground.

"You need to leave. You can't be wandering here for very long. You don't belong." The voice was sounding more and more impatient as it asserted. Basil finally came to a stop, he decided to wait and see if the voice would speak again if he didn't move.

"How do I leave…?" Basil finally questioned, His body started feeling colder as he stood still, he wanted to keep moving, the water felt warmer when he moved. Suddenly a figure came into view, floating down, out of the fog. The 'person' had small, grayish white angel wings on his back and soft white hair. His red eyes looked tired and frustrated as he stared down at Basil.

"What do you mean 'how do I leave'?" His voiced was mocking as he berated Basil. "You just leave. Go back to your corporate form. You're the one that wandered in here when he wasn't supposed to. Now you expect me to help you?" He sounded annoyed, as if he had been interrupted in the middle of something important. Basil just stared up, a mixture of confusion and apologetic empathy. The stranger sighed exasperatedly, rubbing his eyes with his hand. "Alright, I'll send you back, but don't come back here again until you're supposed to, Okay?" His voice, while still frustrated had an air of sympathy to it.

Basil felt himself suddenly be pulled back, his head jerking forward, the river looked as if it was growing further away, he could have sworn he heard the strange man mention something about 'He looks familiar…' as he was ripped from the veil. He felt his body smash against something and everything went dark again.

—-

The quiet ringing slowly began to fill the silence and the bright bathroom lights felt blinding. Basil reached up to cover his eye with his hand and he could feel something wet on his sleeve. He recoiled, looking down, his face filled with disgust as the realization that he had vomited on himself took hold. He groaned out as the pain began to overtake his senses. His head hurt, his stomach hurt and his body hurt. Everything felt like he had been mauled by some wild animal. He could see the plant in his peripheral vision. It was twisting about, taking in the light of the harsh bathroom sconces.

"I guess that didn't work" He mused to the vines as he carefully pushed himself off the floor. His body felt weak and he grabbed the wall to steady himself from falling again. His clothes were drenched in a mixture of sweat, vomit and tears as he peeled them off. He turned the faucet in the shower, deciding it would probably be best to wash himself. As he stood under the warm streams of water, the vines were crawling out, entangling themselves around the fixtures, seeming to enjoy the water.

"I wish you'd just crawl all the way out and leave my body alone" Basil joked to the plant as his hands ran through his hair. A quiet ringing was the only response he got in return. His body ached and he resigned himself to sit on the shower floor, enjoying the relaxing water as it bounced off his abused skin.

"Maybe I should just learn to live with you… " He sighed as he watched the plant slink around curiously. He scrubbed his skin a little, hissing every so often when he hit a tender or raw area. His hands were still scratched up from the first night he got his little visitor. Next he decided to brush his teeth. He preferred to brush his teeth in the shower, he felt that it saved water and he didn't have to be as careful to not get toothpaste everywhere.

He brought the brush to his mouth and tensed when his brush hit his teeth. He pulled it back suddenly and rubbed the surface with his finger. His teeth had become jagged and sharp, he finally found one that was still round at the end and gave it a slight tug. It popped out smoothly. Basil stared at the tooth in his hand, his heart began to race as he panicked, shoving his finger back to the spot it had been pulled. In place of the tooth was a sharp point, slowly making it's way through his gum.

Basil jolted upright, quickly pulling the curtain open. Sure enough, several teeth laid on the ground around where he had passed out. How had he not noticed that he wondered, his mind racing. He quickly finished up showering and jumped out, wrapping his favorite green towel around himself. He wiped the steam from the mirror and looked into his mouth, pulling his lip away with his fingers. A row of sharp, shark like teeth had replaced his old ones. He ran his tongue along the bottom, feeling the sharpness of each.

"What next…?" He whispered to himself. He dried off and walked to his bed. He tossed his grey sleep shirt over his head and pulled on fresh underwear. He felt worn out and tired from everything that had happened. He figured he'd clean up the mess he made with the poison in the morning and hoped quietly to himself that things would be normal again.


	5. Meat

It was dark, the only things visible were the black outlines of the trees fully surrounding you. You looked straight up, the sky was a shade of dark blue, the only contrast to the thousands of the bare, creeping branches swallowing you up. You tried to move, only to find your feet were slowly sinking into the soft forest floor.

You pulled at your legs, trying to free them from the cold, shifting dirt only to find struggling sped up the sinking process. You yelled out for help, a quiet echo bouncing back to you, then, silence. There were no sounds here. No crickets or cicadas, not even night birds.

A low ringing suddenly broke through the maddening quiet, growing louder and louder, completely surrounding you. You slapped your hands to your ears to block it out, but it did nothing, as if the ringing were in your head. Your nails dug into your soft skin, taking a few layers of skin with them, beads of blood forming in their path.

A quiet rustle in the bushes in front of you broke you out of your trance and you stared ahead. You tried to scream for help, but no sound came out. The leaves of the bush shifted gently and you could see something shining. Two small, shining crescents slowly grew wider, peering out of the foliage and you realized they were a pair of glowing, blue eyes. The lights stared at you for sometime, making you almost forget the sharp ringing sound accosting you.

Slowly the creature rose up from the plants, standing tall, much taller than yourself. You could see the outline clearer now, noticing the figure had two tall antlers sprouting from it's head. Slowly its mouth opened, shining the same shade of blue as it's eyes, creeping into a coy smile. It began to approach you and you could feel your heart begin to race. You started to struggle again, trying to get away, scratching away at your legs as you tried to pull them from the ground.

Before you knew it the monster was upon you, staring directly down at your half buried form. It slowly placed a hand atop your head and gently began to push you down, further into the ground. You attempted to claw at it's hand and arm, but it seemed to not even notice you at it continued to smile at you. You could feel your body being swallowed up and the ringing grew louder as you felt the dirt rise to your throat.

You inhaled quickly as you sunk fully into the ground, the damp earth overtaking you. It felt as if it were filling your orifices and you held your breath, the ringing growing louder and louder into a cacophony of screams.

Basil woke suddenly, crying out and reaching for his throat. It was sore, as if he had been screaming all night. As his senses slowly came back to him, his first realization was that he was no longer on his bed, but sprawled out on his floor in front of it. The next thing he noticed was the intense pain in his stomach and body. He groaned out in pain as he pushed himself up off the ground.

He looked out his window at the dark cityscape and wondered what time it was. A low growl suddenly startled him out of his thoughts and he grabbed his tummy, rubbing it gently. "How can I be hungry after what happened..." He questioned himself, walking to the kitchen. The refrigerator opened with a loud crack and he squinted at the sudden bright light. Once his eyes adjusted he took into account the fact that there was no food inside, only a jug of probably expired milk and a few bottles of water. The freezer above was the same story.

He jumped up onto his counter top and pulled open the cabinets, only to find much of the same: Nothing. Basil grumbled softly to himself, the realization that he has to go out growing much more real. He crawled down and put his clothes on, looking at the soiled pile of laundry near the bathroom door he had left on the floor, reminding him of the mess of poison in the kitchen as well. He began to feel slightly overwhelmed as he thought about all the work he's going to have to do to clean up. He sighed and made his way out the door.

The air was warmer than he had expected as he stepped out onto the concrete parking lot in front of his apartment complex. He figured he could just walk tonight, it was a rare occasion that it would be so nice on a late winter night. His sneakers made soft sounds as he made his way down the empty street, the random light illuminating the ground in a shade of artificial orange. He noticed a figure up ahead of him walking down the street towards him.

Basil tensed up as they grew closer, his breathing speeding up. He wasn't sure why he was always to afraid of people. Something about them he could just never understand and they could never understand him. The stranger slowly came more into view, his blue eyes glinting under the street lights. Their eyes met momentarily and they both looked away quickly. The other man fidgeted with his flannel as he walked past and Basil suddenly had a creeping feeling in his gut.

His hair felt as if it were standing on end as their shoulders brushed by each other. He could smell something in the air as well. Something sweet and earthy, he could feel the vines within him shift anxiously, ringing softly in his head. He turned his head around to glance over his shoulder and watched as the other person continued walking, most likely not even taking notice of Basil. He let out a breath and walked quicker.

Harsh florescent lighting bore down on Basil as he walked the aisles of the grocery store. He held a small hand basket closely to himself as he put a few items inside it. He had only picked up candy so far and while he was usually ok with just a few chocolate bars and bags of chips his body was telling him he needed something more substantial.

He stopped in front of the fresh meat freezers and stared down at the pretty red and marbled chunks, he licked his lips absentmindedly and picked up a package of steak. His eye followed the red juice flowing from underneath the meat as he turned it gently in his hand. He knew the plant was emitting a quiet ringing now, but he had grown used to it. He quickly tossed it into his basket along with a few other packages of random beef and lamb cuts.

He shuffled awkwardly as the cashier rung up his items, her eyes not leaving him. She looked as if she were trying to figure him out, he figured she had never seen a green man with sharp teeth before. She announced the price as he quickly swiped his debit card and snatched the bags from her, awkwardly yelling out a thank you as he left in a hurry.

He had never bought meat at the store before, the only meat he usually got was in hot pockets or fast food. He wasn't even sure how he would cook it. He pondered it as he stared down at the food he had purchased. His fingers nervously drumming against the now clean table surface. It had been difficult to clean the poison up without making the vines angry, having to take plenty of precautions by wearing his dish washing gloves and tying a shirt around his face, but he had got the job done.

Eventually he rose to his feet and shuffled around for a pan, finding one that was just big enough for the steak he bought. He took a knife to the cellophane around the package and freed the meat, the smell slowly wafting to his nose, making his mouth water and the plant occupying him wriggle in anticipation. He stared down at the meat and gently ran a finger along the edge of it, coating his skin in red fluid. He began to bring it to his lips before suddenly shaking his head as he snapped out of his trance. He couldn't believe he was about to lick raw meat like that. What had gotten into him?

He used the knife to segment the steak into two large chunks, figuring if he messed up cooking one piece he would at least have a backup. He looked over at the pan, it was hot enough to cook with now and he tossed the meat directly onto the cookware. It sizzled quietly and he poked at it a little. He carefully flipped it and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't burnt or under cooked on the other side.

Sliding it onto the plate, he clicked the oven off and had a seat at his table, staring down at his work. It wasn't much, but he had managed not to mess it up so he was proud of himself. He cut into it with his fork and knife and sectioned it into small, easy to eat pieces. It was still slightly pink in the middle, or medium rare he had heard people say. He plopped a piece into his mouth and chewed, enjoying the taste.

He quickly finished the rest of it off, sighing happily. He removed himself from the table and walked to the sink, turning the faucet so he could clean up the dished he used. As he cleaned he felt the vines shift and wriggle inside him and if trying to tell him something. His mouth opened to say something but was cut short from the sound of his stomach loudly growling.

"What the...? I just ate, I can't still be that hungry." He scolded himself, his hand rubbing up and down his belly in an attempt to quiet it. The plant began to grow more restless and he turned towards the rest of the uncooked meat to his side. He felt a bead of sweat form on his brow as his eye studied the marbled surface. He could see the light glistening off the cold, red and white surface. He took a step towards it, not sure of his movements and picked it up, he slowly took a bite out of it, the red liquid running down his face.

It tasted better than he could imagine, he could feel his new, sharp teeth sinking into the soft, supple flesh with each bite, earning a pleasured humming from the vines within him as they twisted about gently. Once he finished he realized what he just did, looking down at his blood soaked hands in horror. He ran to his bathroom to purge it from his system only to have nothing come up. He cried softly as he sat on his bathroom floor. He didn't understand what was happening to him, why was he acting this way?

Finally, He trudged to the kitchen and put the remaining meat into the fridge, hoping he doesn't have the urge to eat it raw again. His stomach did feel fuller though and he felt like his body were more relaxed, as if the stiffness of the plant was gone. He huffed defeated and went to his camera bag. How long had it been since he had taken any shots? He did have that deadline for a wildlife magazine due soon. He wasn't even sure if he had already missed it, time seemed to be nonexistent lately. He checked the calendar, letting out a sigh of relief. He had a few days left and it was an easy shoot.

He grabbed his gear and went on his way, back to the forest.


	6. Rest Stop

The sound of the bare trees rustling against each other in the crisp winter breeze was the only noise that could be heard as Basil marched through the forest in an attempt to follow the same path he had gone on his first visit here. He could see his breath as he huffed, tired from the long walk already. He took into account the many twigs and bushes he must have broken through to get to the stream, slightly feeling guilty that he disturbed the natural order they were in.

Slowly the soft trickling of the water broke through the silence, growing closer and closer with each step. He finally found his way back, carefully taking in his surroundings. He honed in on the last remaining bits of the deer carcass that started this whole mess. He crept carefully towards it, taking every measure of precaution he could this time. It was empty and alone, it's body mostly gone, save for the skull and a couple limbs.

He crouched down to get a better look, pulling his camera for a few shots of the decay. He gently stroked his fingers along the skull, it had been picked clean and bleached white from the sun. Basil decided he would keep it as a trophy and he thought it would look nicely with his other collections of bones and plants he had found in his journeys. Setting his camera bag to the side and cracking his knuckles, he prepared himself to tug it loose from the rest of the withering muscle tissue still connecting it to a bit of the spine.

His hands gripped it tightly as he gave it a tug, the rotten meat of the body tearing easier than expected and landing him on the ground with a loud thud, some of the tissue finding it's way onto his clothes. He groaned annoyed as he stood up, wiping as much as he could away and then admiring his new trophy.

Suddenly a chill rose up his spine as he felt something watching him, just behind his back. He could feel a cold sweat begin to accumulate as he heard the soft crunching of leaves and dried grass as something took it's steps towards him. His fingers dug against the cold bones in his hands as he slowly turned his head around his shoulder to peer behind him, terrified of what he would see.

Nothing. The forest behind him was empty. He whipped the rest of the way around and studied the area around him. "...H...Hello?" He called out into the empty space. No response. He still had the unmistakable feeling of being watched as he shoved the skull into his backpack and removed his flashlight. He preferred not to use a flashlight when he went on his exploring, it felt like cheating to him and his night vision was pretty good, only having to count on the light of the moon.

This was a different occasion however as he could feel someone, or something's eyes on him, studying him, _hunting_ him. He flicked the switch and the light slowly flickered on and then off. He smacked it against his palm causing it to light up briefly once more, only to flicker out again. He huffed exasperated and tried again, this time it stayed on with minimal flickering. He shined it out towards where he heard the crunching, the dark, empty spaces between the trees and foliage lighting up.

He cast it along the edges of the clearing, seeing nothing around him. He finally began to wonder why these woods seemed so... empty. It dawned on him that he hadn't heard any nocturnal animals since he came here. The first night he had heard the soft sounds of crickets and the call of the random owl, but tonight seemed different. It was quiet and cold, the breeze had died down when he entered this area and now the quiet seemed deafening.

As if on cue, a quiet ringing slowly sounded in his head, growing louder and more anxious. "Hey... Hey, what's wrong..?" Basil questioned the plant in his body, the response he received being only a sharper, painful screeching. His hands shot to his ears by force of habit, doing nothing to block out the sound inside him, forcing him to his knees. It died back down into a frenzied humming as Basil wiped a tear from his eye. "I have to stay and get the shot... I won't stay for very much longer, ok?" He tried to console it, stroking along his arm to calm the wriggling vines beneath.

Suddenly he heard another crunch in the brush nearby, sending a wave of panic through his body, the ringing sound turning into a heated buzzing as he felt the plant writhe furiously. "Or... maybe I could try another night..." his voice was shaking as he grabbed his camera bag and started to walk towards his car. He reached the edge of the clearing where the forest began, a rustling noise freezing him in place. It had come from right in front of him. His body slowly backed away and he decided to go a different route.

His hands broke through the brush clumsily as he tried to retreat into the dense woodlands, cutting his skin open against the thorny branches. He stumbled through the trees, he could hear something behind him as he rushed to find the road again, his foot catching on a root causing him to tumble over and into a small clearing. He pushed himself off the ground with a pained groan, looking up to come eye to eye with two hollow eyes. He yelped and fell backwards, realizing it was just a deer skull. It had been hung up against a tree, it's long antlers facing out. Basil surveyed the area, there were bones all around him, some meticulously strung up on twine and others just scattered about the area.

Near by was also a shallow pool of water, branching off into a thin stream and then into a larger pond that was hooded by curving trees and branches. His heart raced as he realized another person must have done this and might be here with him. He rose to his feet, trying to be as quiet as possible, straining his ears to listen for signs of movement. It seemed quiet for now, maybe he lost whatever was following him. He crept to the pool of water, his breath hitching in his throat when he saw the swirls of red mixed into the murky water.

He backed away and his foot caught on something, toppling him down once more onto the muddy ground. His eye widened, noticing that the thing he had tripped on was fleshy and grey. He gently pulled it further out of the mud, trying to stifle a scream when the fleshy mound became a human hand, flopping back down onto the ground as he dropped it and pushed himself away from it as fast as he could. Tears stung his eye as he ran as fast as his feet would carry him, throwing aside bits of brush that lay in his path.

Bursting out of the woods and onto the hard asphalt of the road, he dropped to his knees, his breath burning as he panted. He could feel his body shaking as a sob broke from his mouth, trying his hardest to register what had happened. Eventually he felt his breathing returning to normal and he reached behind himself to take his water bottle from his backpack, his blood running cold as he realized he must have dropped it where he fell. He looked behind him into the mess of darkened trees, smiling in disbelief. A laugh trickled out of his mouth, starting with a giggle, growing into heated, panicked laughter and quickly fading into loud sobs, tears streaming down his cheeks.

He took in a breath and fell backwards, his head landing in the rough, prickly grass as he stared up at the sky. "My ID is in that bag..." He mused out loud "Maybe the monster will return it, now that he has my address...". Basil lifted himself from the ground, brushing his hands over himself in a feeble attempt to clean himself. "I... I should just deal with this in the morning... It'll be safer during the day." He conceded.

His feet felt heavy as he walked towards the rest stop he had left his car. It was quite a walk considering, but that was the safest place to leave it. His mind began to wander, thinking back to the hand he pulled from the mud. He tried to rationalize it must not have been a human hand, it was probably just an old glove, or maybe some weird octopus. "An octopus in the forest?" He questioned his own thoughts, a light chuckle following it. The sudden sound of extra feet on pavement shook him out of his daze.

Slowly he peered past his shoulder, seeing another man walking a distance behind him. 'How long has he been there?' Basil wondered, 'is he just out for a walk too? Is he following me?'. All these questions invaded his mind, causing him to not notice his slowing in pace. He glanced back behind him, a chill creeping up his spine when he saw they were only about 10 feet away from each other now. The stranger was walking leisurely, his head turned to face the forest, staring into it as if there was something to be seen. Basil's heart felt as if it stopped when he realized he recognized this man.

He took in his visage, recognizing his long, blonde hair that was carefully tied back into a low ponytail and his ice blue eyes that glinted subtly in the moonlight. He was dressed differently this time, sporting a grey and maroon flannel that was worn underneath a slim, blue, hooded vest. Instead of his usual blue sweatpants, he wore comfortable looking, olive khakis that fit his body nicely as he walked. Basil felt a bead of sweat roll down his face as he turned to face ahead once more, quickening his pace.

Slowly the orange glow of the rest stop's neon lights came into view over the horizon, earning a relieved sigh from Basil. He glanced back around, his body stiffening up when he saw he was alone again. He looked around him and couldn't spot where the man had gone. He hoped to himself that he had left and quickly hurried towards the parking lot, his body breaking into a sprint. His hands hit down onto the roof of his car as he used it to support his weight while he caught his breath, relief flooding his body, only to soon be replaced by overwhelming fear as he reached into his pockets for his keys. They were no longer in his pocket. He quickly checked his other pockets only to find there was nothing in any of them.

He sunk down against his car, his forehead resting on the cold metal in front of him, the feeling of crying welling back up inside him. His self pitying was cut short when he heard someone moving behind him, their eyes boring into his back.

"Are you ok?" A voice gently asked him. Basil turned around to face the origin of the question, seeing the blonde man standing close behind him. He was smiling gently, but there was something off about it, something that made Basil's skin crawl.

"Ah... I... lost my keys." Basil's voice was hoarse and quivering as he responded, trying his best not to sound as terrified as he obviously was. The stranger must have caught on to his fear, his eye twitching for a split second as his smile wavered.

The blonde man looked away and into the forest, his smile perking up and his face looking more relaxed. "It's strange isn't it?" His voice was soft and monotonous, it seemed as if the man was daydreaming as he spoke. "Out of the hundreds of... people in this city.." His eyes shifted to stare straight into Basil's. "You are the one I keep crossing paths with." He took a step forward, closing the gap between them, Basil attempted to press himself hard against the car, a futile attempt to get away from him. "Or perhaps... our paths are one?".

He grew closer and reached his hand out towards Basil's face, his finger tips barely touching his skin. He could feel dirt on his nails as he tried to move away from him, a sudden ringing giving him the motivation to move aside and away from the stranger. "I... I'm sorry... I... I think you're confusing me with someone. I just... want to go home... I'm really sorry.." Basil sputtered out as he walked backwards, his hands raised up in a pleading motion. The strange man's smile faltered as he started to step towards him, his eyes seeming to light up with mysterious intent.

"I've never seen someone else... venture so deep before..." His voice seemed to be getting more declamatory as he moved towards Basil. "You feel... familiar... Like... Like a melody that gets caught in your head..." The stranger's smile grew as he prattled on, his expression looking wild and unhinged under the unnatural glow of the rest stop lights.

He was still mumbling things under his breath when a sharp ring resounded in Basil's head, prompting him to turn on his heel and run. He had no idea where he was running to, civilization was hours away and he had no phone, no wallet and no keys. His mind was racing as he ran towards the road, he couldn't hear footsteps behind him, he thought maybe he wasn't chasing him. He turned his head to glance behind and saw that the man was closing the gap, quickly, his height giving him leverage over Basil's minimal speed.

The asphalt hit him hard as he felt the air being pushed out of his lungs, the weight of the other man pressing against him. He could hear the man's panting over him, fading in and out with his consciousness. The last thing he felt was a gentle hand carefully brushing his hair out of his face.


	7. Warmth

A faint humming slowly became audible as Basil stirred, consciousness lethargically returning to him. His body hurt, but that was becoming a usual routine for him. He moved to bring his hand to his head to brush aside the bangs that had fallen onto his face, only for it to be stopped short. His eye blearily opened, the light of the room flooding his vision as he waited for the fuzziness to clear. Panic rushed through his body when he saw his hands had both been tied tightly to a wooden chair, firmly held in place by duct tape. His legs were the same story as he wriggled in a panicked attempt to free himself.

The bindings weren't budging and he was too worn out as it was to struggle much more, he decided to survey the area. The first thing that became apparent to him was the many plants that littered the room. He was placed in front of a large window, a table sat underneath holding numerous ferns and succulents. There were a few standing lamps placed around them, most likely to give them extra light. He saw a small, unkempt bed to his right, there was a red flannel draped on top haphazardly. He recognized it instantly and began to sweat nervously.

To his left was a door, he could see a beam of light streaming through the underside and could hear the sound of running water and random faint thumps. He fidgeted in his bindings, feeling helpless to do anything but wait for his captor. Thoughts began to run through his head of what might happen to him, causing his breathing to increase. He could feel himself begin to panic and tried to calm himself down, his fingernails digging desperately into the wood of the chair.

The sound of the faucet squeaking in the other room followed by the sudden halt of the water jolted him upright, he bit his lower lip anxiously, his sharp teeth drawing a small bead of blood. He listened closely and could hear a shower curtain being pulled open, followed by the sound of a towel being shaken off. He began to scan the room once more to desperately search for anything that could possibly help him escape. The door slowly creaked open, the light flooding the room only momentarily before being shut off.

A man stood in the doorway awkwardly, one hand holding his arm tightly while the other held the towel that was draped around his waist. His blonde hair was down this time and still damp. "Ah... I wasn't expecting you to be awake yet..." His voice sounded shaky and nervous as he finally addressed Basil, his eyes refusing to make eye contact. "I'm... sorry." He finally looked up to study Basil, his cheeks turning a tinge of pink when he noticed the smaller man was blushing, his amber eye fixated on the stranger's figure.

Basil realized he was staring, his cheeks heating up a strange shade of green and red, he turned his head away quickly "I'm... I'm sorry! I didn't.. mean to stare..." He bit down harder on his lip, blood pooling up, slowly running down his chin in a thin streak. The other man's eyes grew wide and he stepped in front of him, crouching down to study his face.

"Oh... You've made yourself bleed... Does it hurt?" His voice was soft and caring, as if he was talking to a child. He gently reached a hand up to touch Basil's cheek, only to have him flinch away, his eye snapping shut as if he were expecting to be struck. A look of shock and hurt filled the stranger's face as he slowly brought his hand back down and away from his face. He stood up carefully, as if he was trying not to scare Basil. "I'm... I'm going to get dressed. I'll... Yeah..." He seemed to give up on talking and hurriedly grabbed a few articles of clothing that were laying around and shuffled into the bathroom.

Eventually the bathroom door opened once more and a more dressed man walked out, he was wearing the same outfit Basil had seen him in when he met him the first time. His hair was still down, most likely due to still being a bit damp. He stood before Basil, looking away from him, his nervous expression seemed as if he had something to say but was unsure. They sat in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time, both being too nervous and shy to say something first.

"My name... is Lawrence..." The stranger finally announced, causing Basil to jump a little from the sudden sound. Lawrence was giving an attempt to smile, but it looked forced and awkward, his shoulders were stiff and his body language felt uncomfortable.

"O-oh... My name is... Basil..." He tried to match the other man's hesitant smile, his legs shifting uncomfortably against his bindings. He noticed Lawrence's expression change when he said his name, his eyes shifting quickly away from him, a subtle blush tinting his cheeks.

"That's... a really nice name.." He scratched his cheek, his smile looking more genuine. Basil just stared at him in confusion, not sure how to react to a compliment, and definitely not one from someone who had kidnapped him.

The air in the room fell silent once more and Basil could see out the window that the sky was changing in hue, brightening up as the sun slowly began to rise. He felt the vines inside him shift around, reminding him they were there. Lawrence noticed he was staring behind him and turned, sighing wistfully when he saw daylight breaking.

"Oh... It's already morning... " He turned back to face Basil "I'm sorry... I... " His voice was nervous, as if he wasn't sure what he was going to say, he brushed a loose strand of hair behind his ear and shrugged "You must be tired... It was pretty late when I..." His voice trailed off and he shuffled his foot awkwardly.

Basil noticed his demeanor changing and decided to speak up "Ah... It's ok. Really... I'm... I usually sleep during the day anyway.." He attempted to smile comforting to reassure Lawrence, he could tell he was a little... unhinged.

It seemed to work earning him an apologetic smirk "Heh... That's good... Do you... Would you like something to help you get to sleep? It's just some tea..." He seemed sincere and Basil weighed his options. On one hand he could get drugged or something, but he wouldn't want to make this guy upset, on the other hand did it really matter at this point? He was pretty sure he wasn't going to get out of this alive, and even if he did he still has this horrible plant parasite to deal with.

"Sure... I enjoy tea..." Basil replied softly, smiling gently. Lawrence walked past him to what Basil could only guess was a kitchen area or something of the sort. He could hear the clinking of tea cups and water running into a kettle. It was silent for a while, the only sounds were the soft bubbling of the water beginning to boil and the random shuffle from Lawrence.

Finally the whistle of the pot filled the air, he could hear the other man gasp at the noise and quickly remove the kettle from the burner. It was quiet again as he allowed the tea to steep fully and cool, Basil could feel his eye become heavier and he started wondering if he would even need the tea to fall asleep.

He let his eye shut fully and rolled his head softly to his shoulder, the tiredness taking it's toll on him. "Ah... did you... are you awake?" The noise startled him awake and he saw the blonde man standing in front of him, holding a tea cup nervously. "You really must be tired... I... Uh... you should still maybe... drink this.." He held it towards Basil and he just stared down at it, wondering if Lawrence was aware he couldn't take it.

"My hands are..." Basil's voice faded and he noticed a small smile form on the other man's face. He looked calm and deep in thought.

He crouched down in front of him, resting one hand on Basil's thigh causing him to blush harder and look away. His cold, cerulean eyes were staring straight at Basil's face as he hovered closer "It's ok... I can take care of you... You're helpless right now..." He glanced back towards his many plants "You need me..." a dreamy sigh escaped Lawrence's lips as he murmured on.

He slowly removed his hand from Basil's thigh, bringing up to gently cup his captive's cheek. Basil didn't flinch away this time, his body felt stiff as sweat began to bead up on his forehead. Lawrence brought the cup to his lips, tipping it carefully so as to not spill it. The liquid was still warm, but drinkable and it tasted sweet and earthy, it tasted unique, not like any tea he's ever drank before.

Lawrence watched, fixated, his eyes studying his throat as he swallowed the tea down. His hand slowly glided down his jaw to rest against his collared throat, pressing gently enough to feel it move, but not hard enough to choke him. Basil's drinking hitched at the sudden change and he stopped drinking, he started to feel strange as Lawrence withdrew the cup, setting it on the floor nearby.

"What... What kind of tea was that...?" Basil questioned, his speech slightly slurred as the room became blurry and distant. He could see the calm smile on the other man's face, his body seeming to blur as he stood. His head felt heavy and he slowly let it drop, feeling as if a large weight had been placed upon him. A low ringing sounded only momentarily, but quickly faded out, as if the plant was feeling the effects of the drug too.

He could hear footsteps in front of him and some random shuffling, then something warm and soft being placed over his legs. "Sleep... Well... Basil..." He heard the other man's voice, but it sounded far away and slow, as if he were slowly drifting away from him. His body felt warm as his thoughts went silent as he drifted off.


	8. Anger

Basil's eye fluttered open as he slowly woke up, he could feel something warm on his legs and he noticed a soft, green blanket had been draped over him. His body still felt strange and heavy as he lifted his head. The first thing to come into focus was Lawrence, he had a fascinated expression on his face, his head cocked slightly to the side. Basil jumped back slightly, startled from seeing him staring at him. He wondered how long he had been watching.

Lawrence took notice, gasping gently and looking away from him momentarily "You... You're beautiful when you sleep..." He shyly commented, a thoughtful smile creeping across his face. Basil could feel his skin heat up from the strange and sudden compliment and glanced away. "You look... peaceful and... _Still_... I wish I could keep you like that.." Lawrence mused on, making Basil shift uncomfortably in his chair.

He took a step towards Basil, causing him to shrink down into the chair as much as possible. He knelt down and pulled the blanket covering his legs away and placed both hands on his thighs, eliciting a small, embarrassed squeak from his captive. "You seem so delicate... Like a spring ephemeral..." His hands slowly slid further up Basil's legs, causing him to gasp and attempt to cross his legs, only to have them stopped by the binds.

"Please... I... I don't know about this... Don't..." Basil pleaded, his face flushing, sweat accumulating on his brow. Lawrence didn't seem to notice his quiet begging and continued to muse on.

"There's... something about you that... draws me in. You seem so... familiar, yet... So far away. I want to know what's underneath..." He pulled one hand away for a moment and Basil could see a silver glint as he picked something up off the ground. Lawrence smiled gently at him as he revealed a small garden knife. Basil began to panic, pulling at the tape covering his arms, tears forming in his eyes. Lawrence simply shushed him calmly and stroked his thigh once more.

"It's ok... It's ok..." He reassured, but it did nothing to help Basil from panicking. "I'm... just going to take a glimpse, ok? It'll be ok..." He continued to coax as he brought the knife to his leg. Basil whimpered quietly, knowing that he wouldn't be able to talk the man out of this, he shut his eye tight and turned his head away.

He could feel it slowly slice through layers of his flesh and he let out a sharp gasp, a few tears rolling down his cheek. He could hear the vines panicked ringing in his head as he tried to keep his breathing steady. Through all the sound inside him, he could hear Lawrence gasp and drop the knife to the side. Basil finally opened his eye and looked down at his leg. He could see a long cut running up his upper thigh, blood was starting to run down the side. He noticed his blood was not fully red, but appeared to have a thinner, greenish fluid mixed in.

Lawrence was staring at the wound, completely entranced. He brought a finger to the cut and gently pulled it open, earning him a sharp hiss from his victim. "You _are_ different, aren't you...?" He questioned, though the tone of his voice would suggest it was hypothetical. He continued to probe and pry in Basil's tender skin, randomly murmuring something under his breath he couldn't quite make out. "Oh... What was that..?" He queried as his finger went deeper.

Basil was quietly crying and whimpering as he tried to handle the searing pain in his leg "What... was... what...?" He managed to rasp through pained breathes. His eye grew wide when he saw that Lawrence had taken hold of a piece of the vine and was gently pulling it up and out of his body. "N.. No no no... Please please! Don't do that!" Basil began begging, his voice was beginning to raise, causing Lawrence to immediately take notice, jumping to his feet and slapping a bloody hand to his mouth.

His eyes were filled with anger as he held his hand against Basil's face "Hush." His voice was dripping with threat as he stared into Basil's soul, as if daring him to make a sound. Basil could feel Lawrence's hand shaking as he held it firmly to him, his nails digging into his skin causing him to wince. "You... You need to be quiet... Understand?" His voice was shaky as he tried to calm himself down. Basil tried to nod, unable to move much due to the pressure.

Lawrence finally sighed and released him, stepping back a little and resting his hand on the table behind him. They sat in silence for a few moments, the tension in the air thick enough to cut. "I'm... sorry..." Basil finally squeaked out, his voice hoarse as he began crying gently "I'm really sorry..." His shoulders began to shake as tears streamed down his face. Lawrence's eyes widened and he walked to Basil, unsure what to do as he crouched down to eye level.

"Hey... I didn't mean to... I mean... I wasn't trying to..." Lawrence began stammering as he tried to explain himself. "Hey... Please... Please stop crying... It's ok..." His hands were raised up, but he wasn't sure where to place them to calm him down.

Feeling anxious and frustrated, Lawrence finally stood up, rushing into his bathroom to grab something from his medical cabinet. He returned, bringing along a small bottle of greenish liquid. He unscrewed the top and held it to Basil's mouth "H-here... please drink this." He demanded gently. Basil rebuffed him turning his head away, still crying softly. Lawrence grew tired of this and quickly took a swig of the medicine, grabbing Basil's face and pressed his lips roughly against his mouth.

Basil immediately stopped crying, his eye widening at the sudden impact. He felt Lawrence move his lips softly against his, trying to part them gently. Basil felt his face heat up and gently closed his eye, giving into the kiss. Lawrence pressed to deepen the kiss and managed to part Basil's lips. The moment they were open he pushed the liquid into his mouth, evoking a muffled grunt from Basil. Once he got all the medicine into his mouth, he pulled away, slapping his hand over his face.

"Swallow it." Lawrence demanded, his voice was forceful, but still gentle. Basil grunted softly, but gave in, allowing the warm liquid to run down his throat. He removed his hand from his mouth and sighed "I'm sorry... You... You needed to calm down. I can't... I can't handle that..." Basil suddenly felt much lighter, as if he could float away, up to the ceiling. He no longer felt like crying, he no longer felt much of anything. He sighed softly, looking up at his captor, who simply smiled awkwardly back.

"I... I feel much better now..." Basil quietly whispered, trying to stay grounded. He was beginning to feel more uninhibited and less scared. "Lawrence... I.." He struggled to find the words to use, his head feeling cloudy. Lawrence moved closer to him, sinking down and listening closely. "I... I don't mind that... I'm here..." he started wondering what he was saying as he said it out loud. Lawrence looked shocked and confused, unsure of how to respond to what was just said.

He slowly stood up and paced around the room, running his hand through his bangs "You... You don't know what you're saying." He sighed sadly "It's just... The medicine... You'll go back to normal and start hating me again... everyone always does..." Basil watched as the other man moved around, his drug induced state making him look as if he were glowing as he moved, leaving an imprint of himself behind for only a moment.

"I never hated you... I'm just scared..." Basil blurted out calmly, the drugs causing him to lose his diffidence." I think if.. we got to know each other... I'd like you a lot...".

Lawrence huffed angrily and marched over to him, grabbing him by the jaw and wrenching his face towards him to meet his stare. "You think you could like me?" He hissed "You don't know anything, do you? You have no idea who I am. _What_ I am... I could take you apart, piece by piece. I could look into your soul as I dismantle you slowly, taking away every last part that makes you who you are. I could rip away anything that you think makes you special." His blue eyes were filled with fury that Basil couldn't understand in his current state.

Lawrence harshly pushed his face away, his nail cutting into his chin as he let go. Basil turned back slowly to look at him through his haze only to feel the sudden rush of pain as Lawrence reeled back and punched him hard in the cheek. Tears welled up in Basil's eye, even though the pain to him felt far away, he turned back to look at Lawrence through his blurry vision. He was staring at him, his shoulders raised up, his hands balled into tight fists at his sides as he seethed with rage.

Basil could feel something in his mouth moving around and pushed a tooth out through his lips, followed by a small stream of blood. He ran his tongue over his teeth and felt an empty spot where the tooth must have been knocked out. He couldn't react as he normally would and simply hung his head. "I'm... sorry.." He croaked out a quiet apology as he avoided looking up at him again.

Lawrence growled out of frustration and moved across the room, he sat down on his bed and put his shoes on. "I... I need to get out of here... I'm going... to calm down... I don't want to... " He trailed off and stood up, looking Basil over once more before marching out of the house, leaving Basil alone to deal with the pain that would soon ensue once the drug wore off.

It felt like hours had gone by since Lawrence left and the pain was slowly making it's way over Basil's face. He groaned out loud, trying to deal with the dull throbbing in his cheek and jaw combined with the sharp stabbing in his head. He figured his headache was a side effect of whatever was given to him. A soft ringing sounded in his head and he realized how hungry he was feeling, the plants were writhing softly under his skin and poking at the eye patch on his face, trying to get out.

"Stop it... If he sees you, who knows what he'll do to me." Basil addressed them, shaking his head softly. He ran his tongue back over the spot his tooth had been knocked out, only to feel the beginning of a new sharp nub sprouting in it's place. Basil sighed softly "Well, That's a relief at least.". He looked down at the gash on his leg and saw that it was closed, a line of green ooze sealing the skin together. "Huh... maybe you aren't so bad after all, huh?" He laughed softly and could hear the plant jingle gently in response.

He craned his neck to try to see behind him, only seeing more hanging plants peeking out of a deep doorway. He wondered when Lawrence was coming back, then began to question if that was a good thing or not. He tried to pull on his bindings again, to no avail, he just wasn't strong enough to get out of them.

His mind began to think back to the kiss he had shared with him. He knew logically that he was only trying to drug him, but he could still feel his cheeks light up at the thought. He shook his head roughly to push the thought away "No... No I'm not going to get Stockholm syndrome or something, the guy kidnapped me and pretty much mauled me, I can't be thinking like this..." He berated himself, but the thought kept creeping back up. He remembered how soft his lips were and the scratchy feeling of his short stubble "No! No no no, stop it." His teeth sunk into his lip to get his mind on something else.

A bit of blood pooled up on his lip and he licked it, causing his stomach to rumble from the sudden taste of blood. He groaned lowly and wondered if maybe he could ask Lawrence to feed him or if that would be rude, or even more importantly, safe.

The sound of the lock clicking at the door jarred him out of his thoughts and he tensed up. He could hear footsteps and shuffling, but he dare not look behind him. Eventually Lawrence came to stand in front of him, his clothes and hands covered in dirt, strands of his hair had fallen out of his ponytail and were falling around his shoulders. He seemed... calmer though.

Lawrence glanced at him for a moment before looking away, a look of shame plastered on his face. "Sorry.." His voice sounded soft and monotonous, he didn't seem like he was that used to apologizing to people. "I... I don't know..." He shrugged and looked down awkwardly.

"It's ok." Basil spoke matter-of-factly" "I understand. I'm not upset or anything, so.. please don't worry." Lawrence looked at him shocked, a small smile pulling at his lips as he moved closer to Basil, sitting down in front of him and laying his head on his legs. Basil tensed up, a sharp squeak escaping his throat as his cheeks burned with embarrassment. Lawrence slowly ran his hand up and down Basil's shins as he rested.

"After everything... You can just... forgive me..." He whispered thoughtfully "What are you, I wonder... " Basil pulled softly at his restraints, hoping Lawrence doesn't start going off on one of his strange tangents. "I'm not ready to... pluck you... not yet... " He gripped Basil's leg, squishing the meat on his lithe appendage, Basil could feel the rough dirt against his skin. "I'd like... to see you bloom first... I want to see the color of your petals.." Basil wasn't sure what he was talking about at this point and just tried to ignore Lawrence's exploring hands on his sensitive skin.

After not too long, Lawrence's hand stopped moving and slowly drifted down, off his leg and onto the floor. Basil looked down and saw Lawrence had fallen asleep in his lap, his breathing slow and rhythmic. He blushed deeply as he watched the man sleep, his soft blonde hair falling gently in his face. Basil wished he could push it away and... touch him. The soft sounds in the room slowly carried him off to sleep as well and he soon joined Lawrence in peaceful slumber.


End file.
